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F10 / F11 (2011 - 2016) The sixth generation of the BMW 5 Series Sedan (F10) was produced from 2011 - 2016 with LCI updates arriving in 2014. In the US BMW offered a hatchback 5 Series Gran Truismo (F07) and the rest of the world also go a Station Wagon/Touring version F11.

Not necessarily. Bluetooth has more than enough capacity to transmit MP3 quality sound. It is more susceptible to interference in the car, and adding the drain on battery it's certainly easier to plug in.

Big difference comes that when you plug in your phone, the interface (how the phone talks to the car) is for the most part proprietary, while Bluetooth is standardized across different handsets and manufacturers. This is why you see the same type of support with BT across multiple handsets, while extended plug in functionality is limited to the iPhone e 4/4s.

Not necessarily. Bluetooth has more than enough capacity to transmit MP3 quality sound. It is more susceptible to interference in the car, and adding the drain on battery it's certainly easier to plug in.

Big difference comes that when you plug in your phone, the interface (how the phone talks to the car) is for the most part proprietary, while Bluetooth is standardized across different handsets and manufacturers. This is why you see the same type of support with BT across multiple handsets, while extended plug in functionality is limited to the iPhone e 4/4s.

Would you kindly provide a reference that Bluetooth has an industry standard?

Sorry, I can't predict the future- other than to say that someday wires will be a thing of the past...

Wireless will always have spectrum limitations, similar to optical - the difference is optical is not affected by interference like wireless technologies. Wireless technologies will always backhaul to a physical medium.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace535i

Would you kindly provide a reference that Bluetooth has an industry standard?

I know WiFi has been so, as well as CD technology.

Here is the first time is was standardized, several revisions since then. I think we are up to 4.0, and working on 5.0.

Wireless will always have spectrum limitations, similar to optical - the difference is optical is not affected by interference like wireless technologies. Wireless technologies will always backhaul to a physical medium.

Here is the first time is was standardized, several revisions since then. I think we are up to 4.0, and working on 5.0.

But frankly I find it so much easier to control things with an actual apple interface in my hand (iPhone) vs BMW's version. I don't use album art- I prefer the map screen and song info in split screen...

I agree but with one caveat. I do like album art and also prefer higher resolution music in my car so I bought a 160 GB iPod (the classic version with the spinning drive) hooked up via USB. Now I'm completely happy. All the music I own at 256 Kbps with album art, and touch interface for my phone, as well.

Not necessarily. Bluetooth has more than enough capacity to transmit MP3 quality sound. It is more susceptible to interference in the car, and adding the drain on battery it's certainly easier to plug in.

Big difference comes that when you plug in your phone, the interface (how the phone talks to the car) is for the most part proprietary, while Bluetooth is standardized across different handsets and manufacturers. This is why you see the same type of support with BT across multiple handsets, while extended plug in functionality is limited to the iPhone e 4/4s.

I just talked with a friend who is an electrical engineer about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

I just talked with a friend who is an electrical engineer about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

I am too

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGray5

about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

All things being equal (they never really are) BT has the ability to provide the same quality as plugging in, after all an MP3 at 256 smapling, is the same regardless of the medium. You are not really putting through that much data so the bigger "pipe" of the cable really is underutilized.

The difference is that wireless technologies such as blue tooth are susceptible to interference, and it is that interference that can degrade the quality. I always prefer/recommend plugging in when its an option, but for me its really about convenience. I use Pandora almost exclusively in the car, and I do not use an iphone so I am forced to use Bluetooth.

I just talked with a friend who is an electrical engineer about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

All things being equal (they never really are) BT has the ability to provide the same quality as plugging in, after all an MP3 at 256 smapling, is the same regardless of the medium. You are not really putting through that much data so the bigger "pipe" of the cable really is underutilized.

The difference is that wireless technologies such as blue tooth are susceptible to interference, and it is that interference that can degrade the quality. I always prefer/recommend plugging in when its an option, but for me its really about convenience. I use Pandora almost exclusively in the car, and I do not use an iphone so I am forced to use Bluetooth.

Sorry, but this statement does not apply.

So do you know with iphone 5 and our current BMWs does BT stream the mp3 direct or does it have to re-encode to BT standards? If it can stream direct, maybe that's why the sound quality is comparable to USB. By the way, the audi guy is my friend just giving me some cr@p.

So do you know with iphone 5 and our current BMWs does BT stream the mp3 direct or does it have to re-encode to BT standards? If it can stream direct, maybe that's why the sound quality is comparable to USB. By the way, the audi guy is my friend just giving me some cr@p.

I figured.. typical audi guys...lol

Hmmm, I can't speak to the encoding from experience, but I would think everyone had to encode to standards... then again you did say apple, so all bets are off. But that should not really affect the quality of the recording.

I agree but with one caveat. I do like album art and also prefer higher resolution music in my car so I bought a 160 GB iPod (the classic version with the spinning drive) hooked up via USB. Now I'm completely happy. All the music I own at 256 Kbps with album art, and touch interface for my phone, as well.

I found the album art resolution on the BMW screen to be poor when using the iPod classic versus my IPod touch.

Hmmm, I can't speak to the encoding from experience, but I would think everyone had to encode to standards... then again you did say apple, so all bets are off. But that should not really affect the quality of the recording.

I did some comparisons today...BT vs. USB and not sure I can tell a difference...love the sound of the premium audio. A big step up from the M3 premium audio.